(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a safety mechanism for a lighter for cigarettes, cigars, etc. More particularly, it relates to a safety mechanism for a lighter which mechanism makes it difficult for infants or children to create a fire with the lighter.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
A lighter designed to make a fire by an easy operation is desirable for the proper user of the lighter. However, such a lighter is very dangerous when it has come into the hands of infants or children who do not recognize the danger of the lighter. Such infants or children may create a fire with the lighter and get burnt or cause an accidental fire.
In view of the above, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 3-501647 (PCT/FR89/00339, WO90/00239) provides a safety mechanism which makes it difficult for infants or children to create a fire with a lighter. As shown in FIG. 8, this safety mechanism comprises a gas lever 1 (A lever for pulling up a gas emission nozzle. When the rear portion of the gas lever 1 is pushed downward, the gas emission nozzle is pulled upward thereby and emits gas.) provided in its rear side wall 2 with a horizontal opening 3 having a certain angular range, a notch 4 cut upward into one end of said opening 3, a stop lever 5 horizontally rotatably disposed under said gas lever 1, one end of said stop lever 5 protruding from said opening 3. When the stop lever 5 is in an unlocked position, which is a position under the notch 4 of said opening 3, as shown in FIG. 8 (1), the gas lever 1 is allowed to turn downward. When the stop lever 5 is in a locked position, which is any position in said opening 3 other than said unlocked position, as shown in FIG. 8 (2), the stop lever 5 does not allow the gas lever 1 to turn downward. A spiral spring (not shown) is used as a means for automatically returning the stop lever 5 from the unlocked position to the locked position. In this safety mechanism, the user of the lighter creates a fire when he has turned the stop lever 5 from the locked position to the unlocked position against the force of the spiral spring.
However, the safety mechanism described above has the disadvantages that it is complicated in construction and does not work with sufficient reliability.